The first state-of-the-art military drones for CFB Comox are now in production in San Diego.
In 2023 the Canadian Armed Forces committed $2.5 billion to order 11 MQ-9B drones, commonly known as Reapers, from General Atomics. They will be stationed at 19 Wing in Comox and 14 Wing in Greenwood, Nova Scotia. Once stationed on the Island, they are expected to bring 25 more personnel to Comox.
The drones are the size of a conventional fighter jet and are the first two are now in production, with testing planned for next year. The first deliveries are scheduled for 2028.
The government originally planned to have them operational this year, but they need to be modified to work in high-latitude missions in extreme conditions, including Canada’s Arctic.
According to Skies Magazine, Canada’s drones will have a mission radius of up to 1,850 kilometres and will be capable of staying aloft for as long as 34 hours. They won’t need to carry weapons in domestic airspace, but Canada has also ordered more than 200 Hellfire II missiles and other bombs that the drones can carry.
